Computer-related hand and wrist injuries have become increasingly common as more and more people spend at least part of their day operating a computer keyboard. Continual use of keyboards over extended periods of time can lead to repetitive stress injuries, alternatively referred to as cumulative trauma disorders, including tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, cysts, and bursitis. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health estimated that more than 20 percent of people whose work is primarily done at a computer keyboard are affected.
Symptoms of repetitive stress injuries can range from numbness, tingling, burning, and throbbing to weakness and even paralysis in the fingers, hands, and arms. In addition to pain and discomfort, afflicted people face possible surgery and extensive loss of work and academic time.
While the motions involved in typing are small, so are the muscles and tendons involved, which renders them all the more prone to injury. The large muscles and tendons of, for example, the chest and thigh can take a great deal more use and abuse than the tiny muscles and tendons of the hand. The slightest swelling of the tendons of the hand or in the sheaths that protect them can lead to debilitating pain and make it virtually impossible for a person to type or to do numerous other activities.
With reference to the partially sectioned view of a human hand 50 in FIG. 4, one sees that the hand 50 has tendons 38 that run through the carpal tunnel 32. When a repetitive stress injury becomes symptomatic, the tendons 38 often become swollen. The swollen tendons 38 put pressure on the median nerve 34, and that pressure can result in numbness in the thumb, index and middle finger. Where surgical intervention is required, the most common procedure is to cut the carpal ligament 36 thereby reducing excess pressure of the tendons 38 on the median nerve 34. However, such surgeries require prolonged recovery and can lead to undesired side effects.
A number of inventors have sought to provide solutions to repetitive stress injuries. New keyboards have been proposed with significantly different configurations thereby requiring that the user learn an essentially new typing system. Other keyboard designs provide cushioning seeking to minimize pain and discomfort and, at least to some extent, to minimize the risk of injury. Unfortunately, these and similar proposals still leave the user performing repetitive, potentially damaging typing movements without intermission, perhaps for hours on end.
It has become clear that breaking the cycle of repetitious movement, providing alternative movements and exercises, and stretching can individually and in combination alleviate symptoms of repetitive stress injuries and potentially avoid the need for surgical intervention. However, it may be difficult for a user to determine at what point he or she should pause typing to interrupt the repetitive typing cycle. Furthermore, even knowing the ideal time to take a break, such as by being reminded by a timer or the like, may not be sufficient to force a dedicated user to stop typing. Furthermore, the typist may not be aware of proper exercise and stretching methodologies that might assist in breaking the typing monotony and providing alternative movements, stretching, and exercise.
With that, persons not presently suffering from significant symptoms of a repetitive stress injury will typically ignore the recognized need for taking breaks during typing to stretch, exercise, and simply to break the cycle of repetitive movement. Indeed, even persons already experiencing symptoms of repetitive stress injuries may fail or refuse to take proper breaks and to undertake sufficient exercise and stretching activities.
With an appreciation for the real needs and difficulties of typewriter users under the state of the prior art, it has become apparent to the present inventor that there is a need for a computer keyboard assembly and method for using a keyboard that assist in the prevention and, ideally, the alleviation of repetitive stress injuries by effectively compelling a periodic cessation of typing activities while additionally requiring predetermined periods of exercise and alternative hand movement before returning to typing.
A further challenge that commonly confronts typists is the successful retention and support of documents in a readily viewable manner during typing. Of course, numerous document holders have been disclosed by the prior art. In many arrangements, a document is held or clipped to a board, and the board is supported by a dedicated stand. Other arrangements project from the computer monitor to provide a dangling clip. However, these and further arrangements are bulky and cumbersome and often find their way into storage or are discarded due to relatively infrequent use. There are other document holders that are pivotally coupled to the keyboard so that they form a cover over the keyboard during periods of non-use and must be pivoted to an upright configuration when the keyboard is to be used. With that, the document holder presents an upstanding, obstructive barrier even when the user has no need for it.
It is thus additionally clear that there is a recognized need for a document holder that is neither bulky nor obstructive and that is available when desired but that can be entirely moved to a convenient configuration during periods of non-use without a need for being removed and stored.